Amanda Whitley is an Advanced Practitioner in the Proactive Care team (PACT), the Bradford-based NHS service that supports people who have multiple health needs.

She has worked in the NHS for 25 years and explained how the team was recently able to care for an elderly couple living in central Bradford.

Mr and Mrs Williams* were struggling to live comfortably at home, dealing with a range of physical and mental health problems. Amanda explained: “I first met Mr Williams in March 2021 when he was referred to us by his GP.

“He was struggling with depression and anxiety as well as with his mobility, weight loss and cataracts. Although his wife and daughter were very supportive and the couple had carers coming into their home twice a day, all of these different needs were still having an impact on Mr Williams’ ability to manage at home.”

PACT, part of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, is made up of healthcare professionals from all different specialties, including dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists and speech and language specialists. They are also joined by Admiral Nurses who support people with dementia.

Having different health care professionals that work closely together, means that they are able to deal with multiple concerns at once, and meet people’s needs much faster.

They are part of part of the Reducing Inequalities in Communities (RIC) programme, aiming to address the stark health inequalities that exist within central Bradford, with the average life expectancy of residents decreasing by ten years for people living in central Bradford compared with those that live on the outskirts of the district.

Amanda said: “We were able to do several health assessments for Mr Williams and address each of his needs individually and quickly, thanks to all the different specialists we have in our team.

“He was seen by one of our dietitians as well as an occupational therapist, who went through his day-to-day activities with him to reduce some of the risks he faced at home.

“His daughter was also finding it increasingly hard to know which way to turn, trying to organise all the health care he needed. I was able to help reduce this stress by supporting, and contacting health and care services on their behalf, ensuring he could attend appointments to have cataract surgery.

“It was really important we were able to support their daughter in this way, also making sure she knew what to look out for and who to contact if her father’s symptoms deteriorated.”

After seeing PACT, Mr Williams’ health improved and it was felt that he would be more comfortable in a 24-hour residential care setting. This was understandably a huge adjustment for the whole family.

Amanda shared: “It was difficult for them, but they knew it was for the best – his weight is now stable and he has not been admitted to hospital since.

“It was a pleasure to be able to help the family find their way to solutions for all the needs the couple had, explaining processes and making things happen as quickly as possible for them along the way.

PACT kept the best interests and wishes of the Williams at the centre of their work, and are now encouraging any other families who live in central Bradford to speak to their GP about a referral if they feel they need it.

You can also find out more about the team on the BDCFT website: www.bdct.nhs.uk/services/proactive-care-team/.

 

* (named changed for anonymity)